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How much are your Christmas lights going to cost you?

Christmas lights will be switched on today all over the country as we mark 12 days until the big day

This week, as we celebrate the official Christmas countdown, families will be getting the shiny baubles down from the loft and plugging in those long strings of sparkly fairy lights. So, in fear of sounding like a Scrooge, does anyone else wonder how much these lights add to your energy bill?

It is a perfectly acceptable worry – electricity isn’t free. And along with the all the other added expenses that come around this time of year, it’s wise to watch what you’re spending.

We have done some calculations to see on average what families all over Britain will be paying to light up their houses like a Christmas grotto for an entire month.

Scroll down to discover how much your Christmas lights are really costing you.

Only £8.94?!

Even the Grinch wouldn’t turn his nose up at that.

How you can cut your Christmas energy costs

If you opt for more energy-efficient LED lights, that £8.94 figure could decrease by up to 90%. Find out how much money you can save by choosing the right bulbs for your home with our extensive LED lights guide.

Although your fairy lights won’t break the bank, some of your other appliances might. We look at the energy efficiency of each model we test, for products including washing machines and fridge freezers.

There’s a big difference between the most and least efficient appliances. For example, the most energy-efficient fridge freezer in our tests costs just £30 a year to run. The most expensive to run would set you back £115. So you could save up to £85 a year by choosing the most energy-efficient fridge freezer.